SAYONARA ZETSUBO SENSEI tells the story of a depressed teacher named Nozomu Itoshiki (whose name means "beyond hope" or "despair"), who leads a class of students who are just as mentally disordered as he is. There's a perfectionist schoolgirl who hacks at everything she deems imperfect, a mute girl who only spews abuse through her phone, a stalker fixated on her beloved teacher... and the most dangerous of them all, the cute but psychotic girl who sees everything in an optimistic but insane manner, which ultimately boomerangs on Itoshiki and almost always lands him in trouble.
This show has a simple enjoyable premise and some interesting characters, but beneath it lies the ultimate in Japanese satire. It hosts all the classic elements that make up a great satire: eccentric characters in absurd situations, which center on a commentary on some fault... and in this show, nearly everything gets held up for fault-finding. The show pokes fun of a vast variety of issues: the cast and the mental disorders they are named and based on (eg Nozomu Itoshiki), word puns (flipping switches in people), the social afflictions plaguing Japan (trolling), well-known films, and even itself on a few occasions.
The sparkling and biting wit is one of the best things about this show, and is wonderfully backed up by stellar animation, enchanting music and a wonderful voice cast. Hiroshi Kamiya is an instant hit as the titular Zetsubo-Sensei, who stumbles through situations with a wonderful range of despair and humor. He is expertly partnered with Ai Nonaka as Kafuka, the incredibly sweet but twisted schoolgirl who loves Mr Itoshiki and loves to make him miserable.
The show is not flawless, though. Much of the humor is based on Japanese culture (eg the name of Nozomu Itoshiki), and so it would be hard for anyone not familiar with Japanese culture to understand it, let alone laugh at it. Also at times, there is a sense that if this story took itself more seriously it would be better than how it has turned out. And around the show's third season, things start to feel worn and dull; it should be noted that at the time the studio was having production problems, but you could only do a fairly one- note satire comedy for so long (look at SOUTH PARK and the not- always- great changes it's had to go through in its long run).
If satire is your forte, then this show is for you. Even if it isn't, it's still got some great stories and characters to watch and enjoy... and it will leave you in despair at how good but unknown it is.
This show has a simple enjoyable premise and some interesting characters, but beneath it lies the ultimate in Japanese satire. It hosts all the classic elements that make up a great satire: eccentric characters in absurd situations, which center on a commentary on some fault... and in this show, nearly everything gets held up for fault-finding. The show pokes fun of a vast variety of issues: the cast and the mental disorders they are named and based on (eg Nozomu Itoshiki), word puns (flipping switches in people), the social afflictions plaguing Japan (trolling), well-known films, and even itself on a few occasions.
The sparkling and biting wit is one of the best things about this show, and is wonderfully backed up by stellar animation, enchanting music and a wonderful voice cast. Hiroshi Kamiya is an instant hit as the titular Zetsubo-Sensei, who stumbles through situations with a wonderful range of despair and humor. He is expertly partnered with Ai Nonaka as Kafuka, the incredibly sweet but twisted schoolgirl who loves Mr Itoshiki and loves to make him miserable.
The show is not flawless, though. Much of the humor is based on Japanese culture (eg the name of Nozomu Itoshiki), and so it would be hard for anyone not familiar with Japanese culture to understand it, let alone laugh at it. Also at times, there is a sense that if this story took itself more seriously it would be better than how it has turned out. And around the show's third season, things start to feel worn and dull; it should be noted that at the time the studio was having production problems, but you could only do a fairly one- note satire comedy for so long (look at SOUTH PARK and the not- always- great changes it's had to go through in its long run).
If satire is your forte, then this show is for you. Even if it isn't, it's still got some great stories and characters to watch and enjoy... and it will leave you in despair at how good but unknown it is.